Suspicious Fire Sparks in Fresno Home

Suspicious Fire Sparks in Fresno Home

Fresno firefighters are investigating a suspicious fire at a vacant house.

Fresno firefighters are investigating a suspicious fire at a vacant house. It started around midnight on Friday at a home on Ventura and G Street in Downtown Fresno. Fire crews determined that people were living in the basement although there was no electricity working inside the home. Officials believe that the squatters may have started the fire and say these cases are becoming more common in the area.

"It seems like we've been going on with this for several years now. All the boarded up structures are potential homeless encampments for the people living inside. Who knows what they are doing if they're cooking, doing drugs or whatever they do, it really creates a hazardous condition," said Fresno Firefighter Ron Stogdell. A local security guard alerted firefighters to the fire but he didn't see anyone in the area when it sparked.

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